Fairytale Ending
by EOlivet
Summary: Jack and Samantha investigate a mysterious carousel in several ways.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize described herein are the property of Hank Steinberg, Jerry Bruckheimer Television Productions and CBS. Original characters based on the ideas and plotlines of Ray Bradbury. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Timeline: Spoilers for Fallout Part 2, vague spoilers for The Bus.  
  
Rating: TV-PG. Jack and Samantha pairing.  
  
A/N: This story is based on Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes." A number of ideas, characters and plot have been "spun off" from this book. So, any similarity is intentional. Also I know nothing about FBI procedure, medical procedure, or city procedure, so if there is anything in here that is inaccurate, please suspend your disbelief accordingly.  
  
Acknowledgments: This is for RC's Halloween challenge on MSt. It's a little late, but I thank her for being patient, and for all her support. Many thanks to D for reading the first couple chapters, and being so enthusiastic about them. Thanks to the lovely residents of MSt for always being so nice. And finally, to my husband for introducing me to "Something Wicked," television dramas and fairytale endings.  
  
***  
  
Chapter 1  
  
***  
  
A bloodcurdling scream slashed through the quiet night, tears gushing down the girl's cheeks. "I wish you'd never been born!"  
  
The girl beside her shoved her again. "I'm older than you, you idiot -- if I was never born, you wouldn't be either!"  
  
"Hey!" A firm grip on the inside forearm of each girl and a tone of familiar irritation that could only belong to a father. "That's enough, Kate -- you don't say things like that," he addressed the younger one with tears staining her face. "Apologize to your sister."  
  
Kate's quivering lip flattened into a stubborn frown. With both arms free again, she folded them across her chest and sullenly mumbled, "I'm sorry. I don't wish you were never born," addressing the ground.  
  
"Hanna." The man turned to the other girl. "Now you apologize for hitting."  
  
But instead of doing as she was told, the older girl broke into a run down the street.  
  
Instinct sent him after her, grabbing his younger daughter's hand as he followed the other girl.  
  
"She didn't apologize, Daddy! Make her apologize!" Kate insisted, as her feet moved rapidly across the pavement, trying to keep up with the other members of her family.  
  
There was a determination behind Hanna's strides, yet her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she covered the distance down the block almost effortlessly. Then it was as if someone flipped a switch, for her shoes skidded to a harsh, abrupt stop.  
  
Her pursuers now caught up with her easily, one still protesting, one ready to cut off all impending protests with a sharp rebuke, when the older girl suddenly pointed. "Look!" she exclaimed, her finger shooting outward like a command.  
  
Two pairs of eyes followed her order and Kate's expression magically dissolved from anger into awe. The bond of sisterhood was remembered as she stepped forward to join her older sister in wordless amazement.  
  
Jack saw the same thing they did, but through a suspicious rather than a stupefied gaze. There was a truck parked on the street by the fenced-in blacktop that was home to many summer midnight basketball games. When the summer weather no longer permitted outdoor games, they were moved inside a local school gym. By late October, the courts were abandoned, and tonight was no exception.  
  
Except for the large truck splashed with color -- broad, bold strokes depicting a beautiful carousel with brightly painted horses sitting atop shiny golden poles attached to a glittering top that threw sparkles into the crisp fall air. The base of the carousel painting was inscribed in ornate lettering:  
  
J&S' Fairytale Carousel.  
  
Underneath the picture in big block letters were the words: COMING SOON.  
  
Kate was the first to break the spell, turning to her father with starry- eyed eagerness. "Daddy, look -- a merry-go-round!" she cried, blissfully stating the obvious.  
  
"It says 'Coming Soon,'" added Hanna, proudly supplying another piece of known information. "Can we come back, Dad? Please, can we? It's just down the block! Please?"  
  
Their father was still studying the mysteriously appearing truck with something less than enthusiasm. "Maybe after school tomorrow," he suggested. "But it's late and we have to get home -- come on, your mother will wonder where we are."  
  
Two small hands reluctantly clasped his as they continued past the spectacle of a truck and turned the corner towards home. But two small heads craned two small necks, keeping the wondrous illustration in sight as long as they could, even as their feet tore them away from it.  
  
Once, only once, he also looked back, but with distrust as opposed to delight, making a note to investigate not only the carousel, but the kinds of people who would bring it to a fenced-in blacktop at the end of October.  
  
The truck was so bright, it was still visible as a faint glow, as Jack approached their building with the girls, climbed the steps and let them all inside, shutting out its light as the door closed behind them.  
  
***  
  
The tinkling of bells was faint, but unmistakable, and it roused her from sleep with an insistent, subtle hand. Unmistakable to any child's ears, the sound felt like the cheap canvas harness strapping you in to a flimsy metal seat that rose and fell, spun, twisted and twirled with every breath.  
  
It sounded like a child's voice -- fever-pitched -- hitting off-the-scale notes with a mixture of glee and fear -- blending in chorus with other such wails and cries and accompanied by the sharp timbre of trained salesmen, hawking adventure, excitement, sustenance and fun.  
  
The sound smelled like hot dogs roasting on a metal grill and popcorn bursting to life under heat and pressure, and tasted as light and fluffy as the sweetened air that was cotton candy.  
  
The bell woke her with its many sensory promises years ago, but it was almost 15 years later, and Samantha was many miles, states and lifetimes away from any carnival.  
  
Still, the sound was unmistakable, and it drew her up and out of bed -- or maybe that was the rustling at the window -- persistently, insistently calling to her just like the bell had.  
  
Her eyes adjusted in the darkness, and were greeted by a smattering of red clinging desperately to her fire escape as she investigated the noise at her window.  
  
The cold cut into her bare arms as she lifted the frame and its corresponding glass screen -- dangling a curious hand out till it made tentative contact with the flimsy sheet of paper flapping against the night. Withdrawing her arm, she brought it back into the solitary warmth of her apartment.  
  
She smoothed out the rumpled sheet -- a square red gash in the middle of her table -- and tried to read it, even as her eyes danced from the glittering top to the elaborately drawn horses to the lettering barely legible when it was black on blood. The only completely visible words were the block printing at the bottom -- COMING SOON -- and an address that sounded familiar. Too tired to process the meaning so late at night, she left the flyer on the table and wandered back to bed.  
  
Once asleep, the bell did not rouse her again, though she awakened the next morning with the odd sensation of having seen it in her dream. This notion was not helped by the fact that when she strolled into her kitchen, the table was whole -- the window remained closed -- and the sheet of paper was gone.  
  
*** 


	2. Chapter 2

***  
  
Chapter 2  
  
***  
  
For the first time in almost three months, Jack had begged off from taking the girls to school. He'd mentioned the odd truck with the picture of the carousel to his wife when the three of them had returned from the circus that night. His wife had smiled and nodded, but expressed none of the concerns he had about why a carousel or a truck carrying a carousel would suddenly appear on a city street in the middle of the night by an abandoned city basketball court. But she must've just been tired.  
  
Before his wife had left with the girls the next morning, he mentioned it again -- how he wanted to check it out and make sure it was reputable and safe before they let the girls go over there. She'd nodded and smiled, and then encouraged Kate to find her shoes and Hanna to stop twirling her hair around her finger. The door closed behind them a couple minutes later -- and behind him several minutes after that.  
  
He crossed the street and turned the corner to see the truck, parked in the same place as the previous night. Approaching the driver's side door, he peered in. Both seats were empty. The door did appear to be locked, however, so at least the proprietors possessed some sense.  
  
His eyes glanced around the street -- scanning past cars, pickup trucks, SUVs. No trailer, although he knew that was a stereotype. Nothing with out- of-state plates either, although there was no reason the carousel couldn't have come from upstate or even some place in the city.  
  
He turned up the street, then down. There were plenty of people milling the sidewalks, but most looked like commuters or locals or just people on their way to work. No one was even approaching the truck -- no one except...  
  
Someone was stopped halfway down the block. Turned the corner, kept walking -- and then stopped. Eyes fixed on the truck, mouth left open as if to ask why, but stopping when it was apparent how silly the question was. Gaze shifting from the truck--  
  
For a moment, neither moved. It was she who broke the stalemate, approaching the truck. She was within five feet of him when she held her position.  
  
Instinctively, he looked around, but nobody seemed to notice the two people standing still in a sea of foot traffic.  
  
"I'm not-- no, I didn't come here to..." Samantha started, floundering for an explanation. "It was such a nice morning, I decided to take a walk before work and... I guess wasn't paying attention and-- and I..." She tried again. "I knew it sounded familiar, but...until I saw the cross- streets, I wasn't sure." She was looking at him as if she didn't believe her own words.  
  
"You...you knew about this too?"  
  
Her brief smile was understanding, joyous, relieved. "I got a flyer last night -- it got...caught on my fire escape. At least...I think it did. I thought I dreamed the whole thing, but..." They both glanced at the truck at seemingly the same time.  
  
"Guess not," he said, simply.  
  
A door slammed somewhere near them and they turned at the same time to see a woman in her early to mid-30s, heading for the truck. At the last second, she glanced toward her two observers.  
  
"Excuse me, do you run this...carousel?" Jack finished, a little uncertain of the question's phrasing.  
  
The message seemed to be clear, however -- for the woman nodded. "I'm the owner. Me and my husband." She extended her hand in greeting. "Sonia Nightshade."  
  
Instinctively, he shook the woman's hand. "My daughters were noticing your truck last night -- we live just up the street. How long are you going to be here?"  
  
But the woman was now looking at Samantha, who regarded her back, curiously. With a sidelong glance at Jack, Samantha finally offered, "I got your flyer."  
  
Sonia kept her eyes on Samantha a moment more, before answering, "Just for the rest of the week -- up until Halloween." She softened her remark with a smile. "Gets a little cold after that."  
  
This did not seem to put Jack at ease, though. "And this is your first year doing this?"  
  
Laughter filled the crisp morning as Sonia leaned her hand against the side of the truck. "Oh no -- we've been doing this for years. This is our first year in the city."  
  
Jack nodded, his expression unchanging.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," said Sonia, opening the passenger door of the truck. As she rummaged around the cab, she continued. "We're renting the space out from the city and we have..." Her hand clutched a sheet of paper embossed with an official-looking seal, "...a permit."  
  
Taking the proffered document from her hands, Jack then passed it to Samantha out of habit. She looked at it briefly, then returned the permit to its owner.  
  
Sonia looked amused. "You two know each other," she declared, her smile brightening.  
  
"Yes," responded Samantha after a minute, looking at no one as she responded.  
  
The woman's expression was unchanged. "J.J. -- my husband -- and I run the carousel. We inherited it from his father. So I guess you could say it's a family business." She reached into the cab one more time and pulled out a photo album, handing it this time to Samantha. "We've been all over the country."  
  
Flipping through the pages, Samantha nodded, as if confirming the woman's statement. Jack looked at the album over her shoulder and caught her gaze for a second before she handed the book to Sonia.  
  
For a moment, all parties were silent.  
  
"Well, if you don't have any more questions--" began the woman.  
  
"Why do you call it a Fairytale Carousel?" Samantha blurted out.  
  
Sonia smiled again. "Because riding on a carousel is like living out a fairytale. Everyone gets a happy ending -- riding off into some wonderful future on a magical horse."  
  
She paused, as if hearing her own words. "Anyway...I should get started setting up. It was nice to meet you -- both of you." Her gaze turned to Jack. "You can bring your daughters by anytime." Then she looked towards Samantha. "You should come by after work. Good way to relieve stress."  
  
"OK," he responded. "Thanks."  
  
His colleague smiled in acknowledgment.  
  
When Sonia had gone back across the street and around the corner, Jack turned to Samantha. "Riding on a _carousel_ is like living out a _fairytale_?" he repeated as the two of them began walking down the street.  
  
"She's certainly a little eccentric, but she seems harmless enough--" Samantha cut herself off as she realized it sounded like they were discussing a case.  
  
They did not speak as they continued the few short blocks back to work together. Only as they were walking into work did they discover they'd been walking with each other from the direction of where Jack lived, and how that might look if anyone who knew had seen them.  
  
*** 


	3. Chapter 3

***  
  
Chapter 3  
  
***  
  
Jack thought the girls had forgotten about the carousel. They didn't say anything that night, and when he asked his wife, it became clear she must've not remembered either.  
  
But the next morning, when he did have time to take his daughters to school, they passed the truck still parked by the fenced-in blacktop, and their enthusiasm returned.  
  
"Daddy, can we ride the merry-go-round? Please!" Kate tugged on her father's sleeve.  
  
Hanna joined in the pleading. "Come on, it's still early! We don't have to be at school for at least another hour!" His eldest daughter proudly showed off her watch.  
  
He stared at the carousel now completely set up on the fenced-in blacktop. Its lights dazzled and its painted horses were truly magnificent, with their bridles shining in the sunlight. Bright, happy music wafted from the ride and idly, Jack wondered how they'd ever gotten the neighbors to agree to that kind of disruption so early in the morning.  
  
Soon afterward, he saw Sonia by the carousel and she waved enthusiastically. Encouraged by the woman's good spirits, his daughters broke into a run.  
  
His strides increased, as he walked briskly to catch up with the two excited little girls. Kate folded her hands in front of her -- a sure sign she was trying to maintain her best behavior as she looked sweetly up at the woman. "May we please ride on your merry-go-round please?"  
  
Sonia grinned broadly. "Well, of course you can!" she replied. As Hanna and Kate sprinted up to the ride and surveyed the horses, she added, "Does your dad want to ride too?"  
  
"No thanks," Jack replied, shaking his head.  
  
But the idea was too appealing or too amusing for the girls to let go. "Come on -- it'll be fun!" encouraged Hanna.  
  
Kate nodded her approval as well. "Come on, Daddy!" she called, echoing her sister's cries.  
  
Even Sonia looked at him expectantly. "You're going to say no to these girls?" she wondered, with a trace of a smile.  
  
He opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it. His shoulders shrugged, conceding defeat, and he stepped up on to the base of the carousel, joining his daughters on the ride.  
  
Each girl had chosen a painted horse and each horse was as intricately detailed as the process the girls had used for choosing it. They walked halfway around the ride, pointing to and rejecting horses until they lit upon one more special than all the others -- their squeals of excitement delightfully pealing out into the morning air. For his part, he decided to merely hold on to a gleaming brass pole attached to the floor.  
  
"Welcome to our carousel -- please enjoy your ride," called out Sonia, pulling some kind of lever, which rang some kind of bell, and the ride began.  
  
The tinkling music invoked magic kingdoms in far off lands, and Jack could see the girls giggling with pleasure as their horses rose and fell, riding in time with the music. His daughters were smiling as the music seemed to fade, until it was so low, he could barely hear it. He could still see Hanna and Kate, but even their forms had gotten darker, their cries fading until...  
  
He saw Samantha standing in his hallway.  
  
Blinking to adjust his eyes, he was greeted with the same image. It was his hallway -- the hallway in the apartment -- and Samantha was standing there, like she--  
  
He blinked once more and there were Hanna and Kate, laughing and waving, and that tinkling music and the carousel slowing...slowing...until it stopped.  
  
The base of the ride shook with the vibration of little girl feet dismounting off horses and Jack followed them, stepping down from the ride.  
  
"Say thank you to the lady," he reminded his daughters as they were leaving.  
  
Obeying, the girls expressed their thanks. Sonia just smiled and waved.  
  
They chattered excitedly about the carousel and how pretty the horses were and do you think Mommy could take them again after school.  
  
He responded as best he could -- and soon they were at the school, where he bid them good-bye, all the while thinking of Samantha and what she might be doing in his hallway.  
  
When he arrived at work, she was the only other person there. "Hey," she greeted, looking up from her computer.  
  
"Hey. Where...is everybody?" He glanced around the strangely empty office.  
  
She thought for a second. "Vivian called. Her husband's car broke down, so she's taking Reggie to school. Danny's with the NYPD, checking on the forensics for Frankie Halloway's car, and Martin is...getting coffee, I think."  
  
Nodding, he started to head toward his office, but then stopped. "Uh...Samantha?"  
  
Her eyes rose, incredulously.  
  
"You've never...been in my apartment-- I mean, my old-- my current apartment," he stammered. "I never took-- I mean, we never..."  
  
"No." She looked almost pained, her eyes dropping to the hands resting on her desk. "No -- you took me there once -- when I couldn't go home, remember? But even then, I wouldn't go in--"  
  
He forced a smile as he nodded. "OK. I didn't think you-- I didn't..." The sentence remained incomplete and for a moment, he stood there...looking at her.  
  
Straightening, he continued to his office, passing Martin on the way there.  
  
*** 


	4. Chapter 4

***  
  
Chapter 4  
  
***  
  
It was particularly warm for a fall evening. Samantha blamed the weather on her inability to concentrate, as well as the faint tinkling of bells she heard as she sat at her desk.  
  
Only Danny and Vivian remained when she stood up suddenly. The woman -- Frankie Halloway's disappearance was still the NYPD's case, as it had occurred in the city only yesterday. They were there to consult and help out if necessary, but it was not the kind of case where long hours and long nights were required.  
  
Vivian and Danny were primarily there on other cases. Martin was at the courthouse, having left early to testify about a case they'd closed a few months ago. Even Jack had already gone home.  
  
The bells echoed in her ears and she tried to push their music away. "Hey Vivian -- there's this old-fashioned carousel a few blocks over. I know Reggie's probably too old for that kind of thing, but it's here till Halloween," she offered, helpfully.  
  
Her colleague smiled and nodded.  
  
Samantha put on her coat and started to head for the exit. "Danny, you want to come? Might be fun."  
  
Smiling, Danny shook his head.  
  
"OK. Have a good night." Both colleagues chimed in with their good-byes and Samantha left.  
  
Though she had only been in Jack's neighborhood once-- no, twice -- she found the carousel as easily as if she traveled there every day.  
  
As she approached, the tinkling of the bell erupted into a miasma of light, airy notes -- the soundtrack to any storybook.  
  
The carousel glowed against the darkness, drawing people to its beacon. Some scattered children and a few adults lingered around the ride. Involuntarily, she smiled and went closer.  
  
"Hello again." Sonia appeared from behind the ride. "You decided to take my advice."  
  
"It's such a nice night," Samantha answered, feeling a forgotten childlike giddiness overtake her.  
  
The woman smiled, returning to her position behind the carousel as Samantha stepped up onto its base. There were a number of adults on the ride, all looking equally as enthused. She left the horses to the children, instead choosing a colorful, exotic-looking chair or bench.  
  
It felt so good just to sit and relax that Samantha had barely noticed the ride had started moving its passengers in a slow circle. Sitting back, her mind wandered on to other carnivals in other towns in other lifetimes. The smell, the taste, the feel, the sound...  
  
She was in a hospital. In a hospital bed, and she was in pain -- so much pain. There was nobody there. Jack was supposed to be there. Where was he? But she was all alone, except--  
  
Startled, she sat up as the carousel slowed to a stop. Samantha disembarked almost before the ride was over -- still shaking from the flashback. She hadn't thought about her hospital stay in months, but knew that victims of violent crime were easily susceptible to remembering their experiences. How it was possible that even the most innocuous thing could trigger a memory. Still...she'd never recalled anything like that before.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled a second time when she reached the curb and finally looked up. "Jack-- what are you doing here?" she inquired, not thinking.  
  
His stare seemed confused and instantly, she realized why.  
  
"I, I was at the..." She pointed awkwardly in the direction of the fenced- in blacktop and smiled, sheepishly.  
  
He nodded, and she cut off any further explanation. Instead, she restated her question. "What, what are you..."  
  
For a moment, he didn't speak. "Uh...just...picking up dinner. The girls are at a friend's house, so..."  
  
"Oh. Right." Two sounds. She smiled again to keep her face from cracking. "I really should...let you...get that, so..." she trailed, off, turning away.  
  
"Sam."  
  
Her feet stopped, but her back still faced him. Slowly, he moved to stand at her side. "Let me walk you to the subway." A beat. "It's dark and you've only been here a couple of times and--"  
  
"I found it before," she answered, a little too coldly. For a moment, neither spoke. Breaking the silence, she finally added, "Jack...did you, uh...when I was...in the hospital, did you ever...visit me?"  
  
Another minute passed between them as he merely stared at her. "Once," he admitted, his expression traveling back. "They had...stabilized you and...you were sedated. I didn't even go in, I..." The words appeared elusive. "I wanted to make sure you were alive."  
  
Her eyes filled with shock and questions.  
  
"But I called about you," he continued, maintaining her gaze. "Almost every day."  
  
She nodded, emotions choking her throat, when something suddenly cleared it. "I wasn't in pain," she stated, the memory playing in her mind. "You said they sedated me and...when I woke up, they gave me painkillers." Her brow wrinkled.  
  
"Sam...?" He moved closer, but she was too lost in puzzlement.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured, and continued down the street. He watched her until she was forced to turn around, discovering she'd gone the complete opposite direction from the subway.  
  
*** 


	5. Chapter 5

***  
  
Chapter 5  
  
***  
  
Jack would've brought his daughters back to the carousel on their way to school the next morning, but one of Frankie Halloway's neighbors had notified the police that night, claiming he had information about the woman's disappearance. Fearing it was a kidnapping, the NYPD had then turned the case over to the FBI. Luckily, Vivian was there to take the call, and she and Danny were now questioning the man.  
  
Jack was at work in under 15 minutes, but when he arrived, Vivian and Danny were at their desks. Vivian was packing up to go home.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be interrogating this guy." Jack tried to conceal his annoyance.  
  
"We did," responded Vivian. "He didn't say anything."  
  
Confused, he turned to his other colleague. "A guy turns himself in, claims he knows where his neighbor's wife is...and then when you talk to him, he says nothing?"  
  
Danny nodded, his shoulders rising and falling. "Pretty much."  
  
"Well, where is he now?" Jack wanted to know.  
  
Vivian and Danny exchanged a look. "He's cooling his heels in one of the empty offices. Danny figured he could take another run at him once you showed up." Vivian put on her coat and picked up her bag, bidding both her colleagues farewell as she left.  
  
The man sitting in the room looked frantic. Sweat slicked his hair, and his arms were folded protectively against his chest. He checked his watch when his eyes could focus on one thing, but mainly they just darted all over the room, as if his attention was commanded by something different each second.  
  
Quietly, Jack pulled the door open and Danny shut it behind them. Taking a seat across from the man, he opened his file. "Mr...Harris Lorne. I understand you've been less than cooperative with my colleagues."  
  
"What?" the man exploded. "I told them-- they just-- didn't believe me!"  
  
A quick, shared glance with Danny gave him all the information he required about the man's state of being. "I see," Jack stated, barely repressing his smirk. "Well, why don't you tell me what you told them? Who knows -- maybe _I'll_ believe you."  
  
"I told them...Frankie called me. She, she told me she was leaving her husband. She-- she told me she was in love with me."  
  
Now Jack looked at Danny, surprised. His colleague merely nodded his head, giving the man a skeptical stare.  
  
Slowly, he turned back to Harris. "Was this a surprise-- your neighbor says she's in love with you and wants to leave her husband?"  
  
For a moment, the man didn't answer. "I..." he stared at the table. "We went to the same school for a while. We...dated back then -- broke up when I transferred." Hastily, he continued, "But that was years ago -- I only moved to that neighborhood a few months back. We were friendly, but..."  
  
"And did you still have feelings for her?" Jack was writing now.  
  
Sighing, the man swallowed hard. "I...don't think I ever got over her, no. But I certainly _never_ told her that -- and I _never_ told her she should leave her husband!"  
  
"OK, OK -- did she say anything else when she called you?"  
  
Harris thought for a moment. "She...kept talking about a carousel. Said she wanted me to meet her there."  
  
Breath stuck in his throat. "A, a carousel? Did she say where?"  
  
"Um..." The man ran a hand through his hair. "Um...somewhere in Tribecca, I think. But I, I mean, we used to go down there all the time -- we went to school at NYU," he offered. "I thought that was just a metaphor."  
  
"Did she say _when_ she would be at the carousel?" Jack was writing furiously.  
  
"Uh...uh...no, she-- she kept trying to get me to tell her when I'd be there. But I never agreed to anything, I swear!"  
  
At that, Jack rose from the table. "If you could just wait here a moment. Don't worry, everything's fine." He turned to Danny and motioned for the younger agent to step outside.  
  
The door closed, but before Jack could open his mouth, Danny shook his head, remarking, "See, what'd I tell you? Not a damn thing."  
  
As he was about to blast the younger agent for his apparent inability to elicit useful information out of a potential witness, he paused. "Danny -- Frankie Halloway told Harris Lorne to meet her at a carousel. What do you make of that?"  
  
The younger agent smiled and shook his head.  
  
Everything that was sense became nonsense, and Jack struggled to concentrate on one thought at a time. "Thanks, Danny -- I'll take it from here. You can head on home."  
  
When his colleague left, he returned to the interrogation room. "Mr. Lorne, I need you to call Frankie. Tell her you'll meet her at 6AM tomorrow by the carousel."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Just...tell her."  
  
Harris reached his neighbor with ease and she apparently agreed to his plan. A liaison from the NYPD came down to take Harris Lorne somewhere to get some sleep before his early morning rendezvous.  
  
And as Jack picked up the phone, it occurred to him how long it had been since he'd spent a night like this.  
  
*** 


	6. Chapter 6

***  
  
Chapter 6  
  
***  
  
It was almost a half an hour since Samantha had awakened, her eyes resting upon the dimly illuminated numbers of her digital clock as the advancing minutes simply became changes in a light pattern.  
  
She hadn't had trouble sleeping in such a long time that she was barely surprised when the phone rang some number of light pattern changes later. "Hello?"  
  
"I see I didn't wake you."  
  
A smile was her first instinct, followed quickly by panic. "What is it?"  
  
There was a slight bout of silence, and she swore she could hear the endearing smirk in his words. "Up for a late night meeting?"  
  
His voice was low, and she froze. Her acceptance or decline was cut short. "A stakeout. By the carousel." He hesitated. "Could you just...repeat what I just said?"  
  
"A stakeout by the carousel."  
  
A sigh. "Good. I'll explain when you get here."  
  
The phone shifted from her hand to in between her ear and shoulder. "You want me to meet you there?"  
  
Another pause. "No." His tone grew more resolute. "Meet me at the office and we'll go over there together. And bring coffee," he added, almost as an afterthought.  
  
Now she smiled again. "From that place on the corner. I know what you like." It was meant as a gentle tease, but it came out as something else.  
  
Suddenly, the line filled with quiet.  
  
Everything she knew told her to take it back, to clarify it, to laugh it off and change the subject. But she didn't. She was sick of being forced not to admit it anyway.  
  
However, this did not prepare her for his response:  
  
"I know."  
  
The silence stretched into a minute, threatening to overtake their whole phone call before she wrestled it back. "So I'll see you in a little bit then." Her breathing resumed its normal cadence. "I should probably change, though -- I'm pretty sure I'm not wearing appropriate stakeout attire." For a moment, she couldn't even hear her own breath.  
  
"Try me." Followed almost immediately by, "So I'll see you in a little bit."  
  
"Yeah." She nodded her head, despite and almost because he could not see the gesture. "Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Ending the call, she stared at the phone for a long moment before finally replacing the receiver.  
  
A short while later, she arrived as promised, bearing coffee and -- much to his relief and disappointment -- appropriate stakeout attire.  
  
Jack had explained the ramifications of the last hour so she was clear on everything that had happened in the short time it had taken them to drive and park a half block down from the fenced-in blacktop and a mere block away from where his wife and children slept in blissful ignorance.  
  
He glanced over at her as she nursed her coffee, absorbing the interrogation and Danny and Harris Lorne and Frankie, and he tried not to remember how he'd seen Samantha in his apartment, though they both knew she had never been inside there.  
  
The carousel was a pleasant-sounding ball of light against the cold hours of a night in late October. From their position, a few stragglers -- all adults -- were visible, as was Sonia -- smiling like she was everyone's fairy godmother.  
  
"It's not right," he rebuked the happy figure down the street. "Messing with people's heads."  
  
"It's not too late for Frankie -- they haven't run off together yet." Samantha's comment was meant as a joke, but the levity was lost on them both. She blinked as she looked out the window down the block where the last few patrons were talking animatedly with Sonia.  
  
"So, once they leave...we'll go talk to her?" she clarified.  
  
"Right."  
  
"And...what if she tries to put the whammy on us right there? We'll have no way of defending ourselves, since we won't realize it's happening."  
  
He picked up his coffee for the first time since they'd arrived at their location. "As long as we don't get on the carousel, we should be fine."  
  
There was a long pause. "Are we so sure it's the carousel? I mean, it didn't tell _you_ what it told Frankie to do, right?" Again, she failed in her attempt to smile.  
  
"We don't know what it 'told' Frankie." He stared back out the window and tried not to listen to the music wafting down from a half block away. The forms of the last remaining visitors slowly stepped into the streetlight. "Let's go," he said, his hand on the door.  
  
Her hand lightly grabbed his arm and he looked at her. "What if it's her and not the carousel?" she ventured, a little timidly.  
  
"Sam, it's not," he insisted, with a bit of irritation.  
  
But Samantha would not be dissuaded. "And what are we going to tell her -- 'stop hypnotizing people'?"  
  
"We treat this like any other case," he informed her. "She's a witness in the disappearance of Frankie Halloway."  
  
Samantha was silent for a minute. "A witness who we suspect has been using hypnosis on her patrons. Come on, Jack -- she made this woman leave her husband -- you don't think she's dangerous?"  
  
He stared at her. "There's nothing to say that this woman wouldn't have left her husband anyway." Curiously, she asked, "You don't think there's a direct link between Sonia, the carousel and the life-altering change in Frankie Halloway?"  
  
Leaning in to address her, Jack lowered his voice. "I don't think she would've done anything so drastic, but that doesn't mean she hadn't at least thought about it."  
  
At his words, she drew in a breath. "Jack, what did _you_ see on the carousel?"  
  
Her question went unanswered, as his attention was now focused on another figure wandering into the fenced-in blacktop. Before she could react, Jack was out of the car and approaching the stranger.  
  
"Sorry, I think visiting hours are over," he remarked to the man, dryly.  
  
The man turned around. He did not speak, but was regarding them with some kind of recognition.  
  
"Have you seen Sonia Nightshade -- the woman who runs the carousel?" Samantha inquired, having reluctantly followed Jack out of the car.  
  
Nodding, the man now looked nervous. "She just turned in."  
  
Something in the man's tone made Samantha suspicious. "Sir...who are you?"  
  
No response.  
  
"Sir, we have some questions for Sonia and if you know where she is--" Jack pressed, insistently.  
  
"I'm her husband, J.J. Nightshade. What has she done wrong?"  
  
The two agents looked at each other before Jack's eyes found the still-lit carousel marquis. "J&S..." he declared. "Mr. Nightshade, we suspect your wife is involved with the--"  
  
Samantha interrupted. "We know that your wife uses the carousel to hypnotize people-- to get them to do things..." she searched for the words, "they ordinarily wouldn't."  
  
"Mr. Nightshade, were you aware of your wife's activities?" Jack inquired, firmly.  
  
J.J. Nightshade sighed. "Yes," he admitted. "But don't blame her -- it's not what you think." Sadly, he shook his head, muttering to himself. "It's really not what you think."  
  
Losing patience with the man's lack of candor, Jack visibly rolled his eyes. "Really? Well, I think your wife had something to do with Frankie Halloway's disappearance. I think she's using a powerful form of hypnosis to influence Ms. Halloway's behavior. You can tell me when I get to the part where what's happened isn't _exactly_ what I think."  
  
"It's not!" A voice rang out in wounded indignation.  
  
Three pairs of eyes turned to regard Sonia Nightshade -- arms folded, cheeks flushed with hurt and anger. "It's not hypnosis -- it's magic."  
  
*** 


	7. Chapter 7

***  
  
Chapter 7  
  
***  
  
"What is falling in love?" Sonia sat on the edge of the carousel with her arms across her chest. She looked up at Jack, who stood a respectable difference from her. "I'm asking you," she entreated. "What is it?"  
  
Jack looked as though he might consider answering for a moment, but then dismissed the notion. "I'm not sure what you mean...or what that has to do with Frankie Halloway."  
  
"Is it hypnosis?" Sonia snapped, peevishly. Her stare drifted to rest upon her husband -- who Samantha was questioning by the truck. "That's all love is -- just your brain playing tricks on you -- making you see things you want to see?" She sounded almost injured. "If that's all you think love is, then I feel really sorry for you."  
  
He put up his hands impatiently. "Can you maybe wax poetic on love some other time? All I really want to know is what you did to Frankie Halloway."  
  
Sonia then held up her hands, palms facing upwards and declared in a firm tone, "Nothing."  
  
-----  
  
J.J. turned another page of the weathered photo album quite different from the one Sonia had shown them earlier. "Look familiar?"  
  
Samantha looked at where he was indicating. A faded photograph of a carousel very similar to the one in front of them. Two boys stood in front of the ride.  
  
"That's my dad." J.J. pointed to the dark-haired boy on the left. "Carnival came to his town one October with this carousel. Soon afterwards, people began disappearing." He raised his eyes to meet the agent's inquisitive glance. "They'd ride the carousel and it changed them -- old people got younger -- so young that some of them ceased to exist. The owner -- Mr. Dark -- offered my dad a deal: to, to ride the carousel, make himself older and they'd go into business together." His voice trembled a little. "My-- my dad said no."  
  
-----  
  
"The heart is stronger than the head," Sonia proclaimed. "J.J.'s dad, Jim, believed it. He taught it to my dad, and _he_ believed it. They worked for years on this carousel back in Hungary. This..." Her hand swept grandly through the air, "is their vision."  
  
Trying to keep the skepticism out of his tone, Jack responded, "What? A carousel that only a chosen few can see?"  
  
"That only a chosen few _want_ to see," she corrected.  
  
"And Frankie Halloway was one of those people?"  
  
Sonia nodded.  
  
"So we're all under the same 'spell,'" Jack continued. "You and J.J. Frankie, Harris Lorne. My daughters, myself and Agent Spade. We see a carousel otherwise invisible to the rest of the world."  
  
At this, the woman's annoyance returned. "It's not invisible!" she insisted. "We're not crazy."  
  
Now, Jack folded his arms. "Really? Seeing things others can't see? Doesn't qualify us?"  
  
"They don't know where to look," Sonia exclaimed, a faint hint of a foreign tongue accenting her words. "They _can't_ see because they don't know how."  
  
-----  
  
J.J. turned the page. "After college, my dad got married, had a son and tried to forget about the carnival and the carousel, but he couldn't. He traced its roots back to Hungary -- to a powerful gypsy heritage. We moved there when I was three."  
  
Samantha listened, offering him an understanding smile. "Mr. Nightshade," she began. "We just need to know what happened to Frankie Halloway."  
  
But the man was lost in the past. "My dad kept saying...if the carousel could run on black magic, it could run on 'white magic.' That he could use it to grant wishes not of the body, like aging...but wishes of the heart."  
  
-----  
  
"And what happens once someone 'knows how' to find the carousel?" Jack questioned, not trying to hide his disbelief.  
  
Sonia's eyes filled with affection, before hardening. "I don't know -- what happened to _you_?"  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
Leaning in, she whispered, "You saw your life as you want it," she stated.  
  
Sam in the hallway of the apartment...like she belonged there.  
  
Still, he remained silent.  
  
"Your Frankie Halloway must've seen that too," she revealed. "She knew where to look, and claimed the future she wanted."  
  
"And destroyed the life she had," added Jack.  
  
The woman looked at him with a mixture of amusement and sadness. "It wasn't the life she wanted. Her husband will be much happier with someone who truly wants to be with him."  
  
-----  
  
Samantha attempted to suppress her curiosity. "So, for instance...with Frankie Halloway...?" She wrinkled her nose a bit. "She...wishes she were with this other man...she leaves her husband and, what -- he forgets all about her?"  
  
"He forgets they were married," J.J. clarified. "But only if this other man you mention wishes for the same thing in _his_ heart. Otherwise, the spell is broken."  
  
-----  
  
"That's some pretty powerful magic," Jack commented. "Making lives disappear."  
  
Sonia threw up her hands. "Joke about it all you want. I told you I don't know anything about Frankie Halloway and yet -- you keep asking about the carousel."  
  
"Because what you're doing is dangerous. You're kidnapping people and relocating them based on whims of a power you clearly can't control. And you've done this in other cities too, I'll bet. People walking around with completely different lives -- totally unaware they're in some dream world that's not supposed to exist!"  
  
But the woman seemed to remain immune to his statements. "You know, most fairytales started out with unhappy endings. It took someone with imagination -- and hope and desire -- to change the stories, and now they're loved by millions," Sonia asserted. "Because wishes aren't supposed to come true. If people aren't meant to want more, they don't see it. But this...makes it happen. We haven't done anything wrong!" Her voice was almost breaking now.  
  
-----  
  
Samantha bit her lip, remembering something. "What about the children?" she asked J.J. "What happens to them?"  
  
A wistful smile spread over J.J.'s face. "Just a carousel ride," he declared, dreamily. Then he looked at the agent. "Children are the only ones who see with their heart, so they can always see us." He inched closer to her, his voice dropping. "Children aren't the ones who've forgotten how to make wishes."  
  
She blinked, trying not to see herself in the hospital, in pain -- so much pain -- and so alone, waiting... Why would she possibly wish for...  
  
Seeing Jack walk slowly from the carousel, she met him halfway across the blacktop.  
  
"A carousel that grants wishes through magic." Jack smirked, a little defensively.  
  
Samantha returned the expression. "I always knew we were one case away from a basement office." Sighing, she remarked, "What are we going to do? Subpoena their records and find every person with someone who doesn't match the name on their marriage license? There's nothing to say all these people were married before either."  
  
She ran a hand over her face. "Jack, I don't think J.J. knows anything about where Frankie Halloway is."  
  
He nodded. "Neither does Sonia. As far as these people are concerned, this woman is just another person getting the fairytale ending they deserve. Another soul to be saved."  
  
Holding his gaze, she walked deliberately over to the carousel and stared.  
  
When she looked back over her shoulder, she saw he hadn't moved.  
  
A couple minutes later, she felt him approach, his coat brushing against her arm. "Things work themselves out, Sam," he whispered, his breath grazing her neck.  
  
She caught his eyes and smiled, ruefully. "I can't pretend that I don't wish..." she trailed off, just as low.  
  
Samantha's foot planted itself tentatively on the carousel's base. After a moment, her other foot followed.  
  
Only when she was almost out of reach did he grab onto her hand and join her.  
  
*** 


	8. Chapter 8

***  
  
Chapter 8  
  
***  
  
They stood in silence -- not a word or a sound raised in disturbance. Almost imperceptibly, the ride began to turn and the music started up so softly, it was almost part of the background.  
  
All the bright colors flashed and sparkled in the middle of the night, till the light grew brighter and brighter until...  
  
-----  
  
Samantha stood in an apartment hallway. Anxiety, frustration and a trace of fear marked her face.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." Her arms went around Jack, and they shared a brief kiss. "I was worried."  
  
"I told you I'd be home later." He walked to a chair and sat down, heavily. "How was work?"  
  
Perching on the arm of the chair, she gently rubbed his shoulders. "It was OK," she said, quietly. "What about you?"  
  
A long sigh. "It was--" he stopped. "What happened, Sam -- you sound upset."  
  
"Nothing," she insisted. "Just a...nothing."  
  
Now he looked concerned, as he turned around to completely face her. "Hey..." he pleaded, his hand stroking the side of her face. "I see bodies in my line of work too, you know."  
  
"Missing persons tends to have more happy endings than Homicide," she revealed, flatly. Then she realized her tone. "Jack, I'm sorry -- I didn't mean..."  
  
"I know," he assured her. "But that doesn't mean you can't talk to me. I tell you..."  
  
"Yeah, you do." She grabbed his hands and he pulled them both to their feet. "Tomorrow." Their fingers intertwined. "When we're both not so exhausted."  
  
Again, he kissed her -- his arms encircling her -- whispering, affirming endearments she already knew. Her eyes closed, as she tried to tell him everything through her embrace.  
  
Yet, still she did not speak further.  
  
-----  
  
Jack was in a chair in an unfamiliar hospital room. Glancing over, he gazed upon a sleeping Samantha. Without any thought, he leaned over and grabbed her hand. Smiling through choked back tears when she opened her eyes. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." A smile appeared in those eyes before they shut once more. "You finally made it."  
  
"I was here for the important part," he insisted. He ran his hand from her forehead back to her temple. "You look pale, Sam. I'm sure it still hurts."  
  
She managed a slight grin. "Yeah -- being cut open isn't all it's cracked up to be." Her glance brightened. "But everything's fine. They're just...running some more tests."  
  
Their stares connected and they exchanged weak, but warm smiles.  
  
"Doesn't feel any different...other than the pain," she offered. "I guess because we haven't--" Covering her mouth, she bit down on her lip. "Supposed to change your life."  
  
"That's what I hear," he rejoined, gently. "And it will," he assured her. "I'm sure -- they just...have to make sure everything's OK..."  
  
"How's the case?" she asked, shifting her position.  
  
He focused briefly on the floor.  
  
It seemed her face would've fallen if she had any energy left. "I'm sorry. I--I know you worked a long time on this one." Then she mustered a vaguely happy expression. "I--I was afraid you might be too late."  
  
"No -- kid was gone days ago. Probably only lived a few hours before..." He clasped her hand tightly, exhaling the stress of the day.  
  
"That poor kid," she uttered, quietly.  
  
His head dropped to his chest, as he decided to refrain from any more speaking.  
  
-----  
  
Looking up, he caught her glance through the murky atmosphere. She was standing by a chair.  
  
Raising her eyes, she met his across the hazy expanse. He was sitting in a chair.  
  
An FBI agent and an NYPD detective. A new life. Complete with new roles and responsibilities.  
  
No wife. No daughters. No shared job.  
  
But they would be together.  
  
Silently, they both made a wish.  
  
*** 


	9. Epilogue

***  
  
Epilogue  
  
***  
  
The sun was peeking out from behind the dusk-turned-dawn. It was unusually cold, even for late October, and Jack and Samantha shivered as they stood outside an abandoned city basketball court.  
  
He looked at her, feeling almost shy. "Thanks for the ride home." His hand indicated a spot on the horizon, somewhere to his left. "Guess I was more tired than I thought..."  
  
Her gaze darted away from where he was gesturing, a wave of shame creeping up on her. "It's fine. I'll just take the car back..."  
  
Silence.  
  
Finally, she put her head down as she crossed the street to where the car was parked. When she reached the door, she suddenly spun back around. "It's...nice," she said, sincerely. "Nice neighborhood."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah." A moment's hesitation. "Well, it's not like you haven't been here--"  
  
"Yeah." This time, she nodded.  
  
"But it is. You'd like it." Quickly glancing at his watch, he chuckled softly. "It's Halloween," he declared, briefly holding out his wrist for she could see the date for herself -- an examination she could've possibly conduct from all the way across the street.  
  
Involuntarily, her lips turned upwards at the notion. "Well, then I'd better get home so I can change into my costume. You should too," she joked, playfully.  
  
He regarded her with a smirk. "Yeah, right. So what are you gonna be -- a fairy princess?"  
  
She gave him a look. "I don't think so," she replied. "But I might be a pumpkin." One touch of the keyless entry and the door opened with ease. "Night, Jack," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. Looking at him directly now, she still said nothing else.  
  
"Night, Sam," was his only reply.  
  
Danny got in early that morning and took a call about a boy who'd been taken in front of a dozen other kids in a daycare facility. He erased the board and replaced a photo of a woman with the boy's picture. Not recognizing the photo, he figured it must've from someone else's old case.  
  
Samantha came in a little later, trading jabs with Danny and Martin as to why she didn't dress up for the holiday.  
  
Sometime during the day, she thought she heard the slight tinkling of bells. The sound was familiar, but she couldn't place the context. After a minute, she just ignored it and went back to work. She guessed they must've stopped soon afterwards, for she did not hear them again.  
  
Jack picked up Hanna and Kate from school after handing off the boy's case to the rest of the team. The girls spotted some friends who lived a couple blocks down and they all began excitedly chattering amongst themselves, moving as one little group down the street.  
  
Kate came bounding back up the block, and tugged on her father's arm. "Daddy, Lydia says this is the last day for the carousel!"  
  
Hanna followed quickly on her sister's heels. "Can we go, please? Just once before trick-or-treating? Please!"  
  
Jack simply nodded and smiled as he led his daughters toward home, and they passed an abandoned city basketball court.  
  
The End. 


End file.
